Hatachi
by Charlett
Summary: An important day is coming up for Tanaka Hajime, and the Ouendan are going to celebrate in his honor. His family has other plans, however. After Hajime becomes an adult, he needs to leave the cheer squad... For Good.
1. Chapter 1

This is the first story I wrote starring the Ouendan in all their glory. Mostly, I wanted to write about Hajime and include the others so I would get used to their personalities. Over time, they continue to evolve, so much so that "What the World Calls Love" seems almost "Uncanon" in this universe I've been working on. It's almost weird...

but anyway, a little thing you may need to know: Seijin Day is the day when Japan celebrates those who have become adults (that is, have turned 20 the past year). It's always celebrated on the first Monday of each January. I assume that the Ouendan are all proud of their adult members, and throw elaborate parties for people on Seijin Day. Or summin...

Also, the title comes from the Japanese word for "Twenty years old", Hatachi. Usually, you just say your age by saying the number and "sai", but 20 is an important age. You're an adult at 20! So therefore, a special word is needed. Thus, Hatachi.

Anyway, hope you guys enjoy the beginning! Please don't mind the Tanaka OCs. They won't be too overbearing, I promise.

READ ON!

---

From the beginning of his life, Tanaka Hajime was special. Tanaka Chouko was sure as well, even when he was in the womb. She smiled brightly at the way he jumped whenever the smallest musical beat was heard. He would kick in time, but what amazed her most was that he tended to summersault on the dominant beats. She knew he was going to be a musical genius when he got older.

"A boy…" Tanaka Susumu said the moment he heard the news in their home on the outskirts of Yuuhi town, "Our first is a boy."

"I'm so happy, my husband…" Chouko said with a smile that was filled with tears.

"His name…?" Susumu thought for a moment as the two sat for tea, "He is our first. He is to be called Hajime." Hajime kicked lightly to the rhythm of his mother's beating heart. He was to be special. It was obvious.

---

"So…" Tanaka Hajime flipped through his book, halfway ignoring his friend and superior, Ouendan Leader Ippongi Ryuuta. Ryuuta always went off on inane tangents at some point, and it seemed like he was on one right now, "it's January now."

"I noticed," Hajime said halfheartedly, focusing instead on the book. Ryuuta almost wondered why it was called "PiHKAL". Almost.

"How old are you again, Hajime-kun?"

Hajime flipped the page, "twenty. So?"

"So…" The Ouendan recruit sighed. Ryuuta was stuck in a loop it seemed, "it's January now."

"I noticed…"

"So shouldn't we be like… celebrating or something?"

"Celebrating what?" Ryuuta groaned. He'd never get Hajime to realize it when he had his nose stuck in a book. He lifted himself from the chair, walked over to where his subordinate was reclining, and wrenched PiHKAL from Hajime's hands, "Hey!" He protested, "I was reading that!"

"Listen up, Hajime-kun," Ryuuta said, pointing at Hajime, "it's January; we need to celebrate." Hajime blinked, "You're twenty, and it's almost Seijin Day. Therefore, you need to stop pretending that nothing special is happening, dress up in something nice, and be happy about yourself for once, dammit!"

The two Ouendan glared at each other, and the moment Ryuuta thought that perhaps he had gotten through to the young man, Hajime lifted his hand, "Give me back my book, please." Ryuuta gave a "che" and dropped it on his lap, tromping from the room. Hajime groaned about creased pages, but let it slide and continued reading.

Ryuuta left Hajime alone and entered the break room, muttering angrily under his breath, "Well, I tried…" he grumbled, "That's got to count for something."

"Oh, we know you did, Ryuuta-san…" Amemiya Sayaka said as Ryuuta plopped down in a chair and Anna Lindhurst handed him a can of cola, "I just bet you didn't try hard enough."

Ryuuta cast Sayaka a glare through his cola gulping, and Kanda Aoi sighed lightly, "Well," she muttered, frowning a bit, "Does that mean we won't be having a party for Haji-kun…?"

"I wouldn't doubt it," Doumeki Kai, Squad Director, said, "But he does seem intent on letting the entire day slide."

"I remember when you all threw a party for Ryuuta-kun and I on Seijin Day…" Anna said; a faraway look was in her eye as she remembered the festivities, "It was one of the happiest days of my life."

"I think there's something hiding in Hajime-san," Suzuki Ittetsu said, "perhaps he is too humble to accept our elaborate party? How silly!"

"Or perhaps he doesn't want to be reminded that he's an adult," Sayaka said, placing her hands on her hips, "He'd rather we all cater to him just because he's still a child."

"What if Hajime-san is afraid of getting older?" Saitou Atsushi suddenly said. Everyone looked up at him, "I was just thinking, he might just be afraid of being an adult."

"But why?" The others wondered, thinking about the supposition only because it could actually be true, "What would Hajime fear about adulthood?"

"Commitment?"

"Responsibility?"

"The need to get a wife?" Everyone sighed. No matter how hard they thought, Hajime just didn't seem the type to be afraid of getting older for those reasons.

Aoi looked at all the Ouendan as they furrowed their brows and thought hard about how to get their recruit to feel good about himself, and she smiled, "I'll go try cheering him up now! He's around my age, so he'll probably listen," She said happily, sailing from the room. Everyone stared silently after her, turned to each other, shrugged, and waited for her to return.

---

Hajime flipped a page of his book when Aoi slunk into the room, tiptoeing up to the recruit. He looked up when the Cheer Girl poked her head at him, looking at his face upside down, "What are you doing, Haji-kun?"

"Reading about the effects of psychedelic drugs on the Human Body, cleverly disguised in a fictional novel about a married couple," Hajime said with a shrug, "In a nutshell. What are you doing, Aoi-san?"

"Smiling at your cute face," Aoi said with a giggle. Hajime's face exploded in red, and the Cheer Girl laughed aloud, "Just kidding. I wanted to talk to you."

"If it's about Seijin Day, I don't want to hear it," The flustered Ouendan said as he continued to look at her face.

"Haji-kun is stiiiiiingy!" Aoi said with a frown, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Fine with me…" he muttered, returning to his book.

"Haji-kun, why do you not want to celebrate Seijin Day? Do you not like it?" Aoi left Hajime's face and moved to sit on the edge of the couch (as most of it was taken up by the recruit's reclining figure), "Did a giant Seijin Day Monster attack you when you were little?"

"Not funny," Hajime said, continuing to read the book and attempting to ignore the fact that he was being interrogated, most likely for the assistance of the rest of the Ouendan, "I just don't want to think about it right now, alright?"

"Come on, Haji-kun, you can tell Aoi-chaaaan, I'm your age too! Can't we talk a bit?"

Hajime looked at Aoi's pleading face, and looked at his book, "First of all, you're not my age. If you were, you'd be celebrating it along with me."

"AHA!" Aoi suddenly shouted, making Hajime jump as she stood up and pointed an accusing finger at her friend, "That's the reason you don't want to celebrate Seijin Day! You won't have any peers to celebrate with! All you have is a bunch of old wrinkly old men celebrating for you! Is that it?"

Hajime was too busy trying to restart his heart to register what Aoi had said. When he finally looked up at Aoi, she smiled, "I'm right, right?"

The recruit stared at the Cheer Girl, and he sighed. Placing a bookmark in his book, he closed it and shifted so he could sit up. Aoi took that as an invitation to sit next to him, and he looked over at her, "I suppose… part of it is because of that…" He muttered, "But there are other reasons I don't want to go through with this." He looked at Aoi, and she smiled back as if asking him to continue, "It's just… if I get older…"

The Ouendan clutched the book tighter in his lap so hard that his knuckles turned white, "I'll probably have to leave the Ouendan…"

The two sat in silence for a long while, and Aoi looked up to notice that many of the other Ouendan were trying to get a peek through the door. She glared at them and their peeking faces disappeared, and the Cheer Girl returned to tending to the recruit, "What do you mean, Haji-kun? You can't just… QUIT being an Ouendan…"

She thought about it, "Can you…?"

"Well, ever since I was young, my father had always told me… that since I was the oldest son… it was my job to protect my family in times of need. At first, it was alright, just me and my siblings. I cheered them on and cleaned up any scrapes they sustained…" Hajime smiled at the fond memories, "My brother and sister, Jirou and Shinju, were everything to me… but Father…"

Aoi listened intently as Hajime continued, "Father said that if I was going to be any good at protecting the family in his stead… I would have to be a professional… He said a doctor is a respectable job and it would pay any bills that Mother would get after he passed on." Hajime turned to Aoi with a smile, "Or something to that effect, I guess…"

"So being an Ouendan is everything your father wouldn't want you to be?" Aoi said, "Wow, it's like something out of a romance manga…"

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah, like when the daughter brings her lover to meet her parents, and the father is vehemently against it! 'No! You're not good enough for my daughter!' and then the lover has to carry the beautiful daughter away on a manly motorcycle and off into the sunset!" Hajime smiled halfheartedly at Aoi as she daydreamed in the middle of a pep talk. Since when did cheering turn into a marriage proposal?

"Either way…" Hajime continued, adjusting his glasses and trying to hide the confused sweat that was falling down his face, "I don't want to think about my turning twenty… if I do… then it'll only remind me of my leaving the squad."

"But I already, said, you can't leave the squad…!"

"I can," Hajime said, standing up suddenly and adjusting his glasses, "And for my family, I will. Mother will need me a whole lot more than any of you." He gave her a respectful bow, "When Seijin Day comes, I'll be resigning. The cram school I was in before I joined has expressed their desire for me to return. So I suggest you get used to this notion about me leaving." And with that, he strode from the room.

Aoi was at a loss for words. The moment Hajime was out of earshot, the entire squad exploded inside the room, "What happened, Aoi-chan, Aoi-chan? What happened?" Sayaka asked.

"Aoi-chan, it can't be that bad, can it?" Ryuuta asked. Aoi looked up at the group, a rare frown placed on her face.

"Haji-kun… Haji-kun's leaving forever…!" And with that, the Cheer Girl broke down into sobs.

---

"_We're home, Mama, Papa!" Tanaka Shinju, Hajime's little sister (age 6) proclaimed, tearing into the house at breakneck speed, her arms spread out as if she were an airplane. Tanaka Jirou, Hajime's little brother (age 9) and Hajime himself (age 14) followed in quietly. It was a good idea, as at that moment Tanaka Susumu, Hajime's father, gave his daughter "the glare". She immediately stopped running and calmed down, as a young girl should._

"_Good afternoon, Father. How are you today?" Hajime asked, approaching his father with a light bow._

"_Hajime, may I speak with you?"_

"_Of course, Father." Hajime turned to his siblings and shrugged lightly. The two turned and shuffled dejectedly from the house to play by themselves. Hajime waited until his father allowed him to sit before him, and he took a seat next to Susumu, "Is there something wrong, Father?"_

_Susumu adjusted some papers in front of him, and Hajime noticed that there were plenty of large books in front of him, "Hajime, have you ever considered what you shall do when you grow older?"_

"_Father?"_

"_It is best that you specialize yourself now so you will be prepared for the rest of your life, do you understand?" Susumu asked._

_Hajime adjusted his glasses, and thought about what his father said, "Yes, I do, Father. Do you have anything in mind?"_

_Susumu smiled. Hajime always knew exactly what to say to him, "As a matter of fact…" Hajime waited for his father, who pulled the large books up and placed them rather harshly on the table before the young man. Hajime adjusted his glasses, the same way he did when he was nervous._

"_This is…?" He inspected the first book, and blinked, "medical books…" He murmured, placing the first one down and picking up the next._

"_Hajime, have you ever considered becoming a doctor?" the father asked. Hajime looked up at the man, "It is a good, stable profession. If I cannot take care of your mother at some point in time, it will be up to you to take care of her and your siblings."_

_Hajime thought of his mother, Tanaka Chouko, and turned to Susumu, "Father… surely you are not suggesting that you…"_

"_Hajime, it is the easiest, smartest thing for you to do. You must be able to take care of your family if need be, do you understand?"_

_Hajime looked down at the medical book in his hand, and placed them in a neat pile before him. Heaving them up, he nodded at his father, "I understand, Father. I will do what I can for you, for Mother, and for Jirou and Shinju."_

_Susumu smiled, "You're such a good son, Hajime. Thank you."_

"_Anything you wish, Father," Hajime replied, heaving the books towards his room. He was sure he would have a lot of studying ahead of him if he wanted to get into a prestigious collage. There was nothing worse than being a ronin!_

---

Hajime entered his room silently, wondering if he really should have been so sharp with Aoi. She was only trying to help, and he pushed her away. He slammed the back of his head against the door and internally berated himself. Some Ouendan! He wasn't supposed to make people sad!

"But what was I supposed to do…?" He groaned inwardly, "Pretend everything's alright and then just leave…?" No… he should have told everyone beforehand. With a sigh, the young Ouendan looked down at the book in his hand. He decided to do the one thing that always cheered him up, no matter what.

Study under the blankets with a flashlight.

---

"Group conference! Group conference!" Ryuuta shouted through the Ouendan HQ.

"We're already here." Atsushi said, arms crossed.

"Yeah, Ryuuta-san, no need to be loud about it," Sayaka said as Anna comforted the sniveling Aoi. Ryuuta sighed. He just liked yelling…

"Well then, what do we do?" Kai asked, "Shall we let Hajime-san leave?" Atsushi looked firmly against it. Once an Ouendan, always an Ouendan. It was just the way things were.

"Personally, I don't mind," Anna said, "I would have done anything for my uncle, and I know exactly how he feels. Let him help his family."

People began giving the Cheer Girl traitorous glares, and Ryuuta calmed them with a wave of his hand, "Look, look people, this is Hajime-kun's choice. If he'd rather be a boring ol' doctor rather than an awesome as hell Ouendan, it's his choice and his mistake."

People then gave the Ouendan Leader "never speak drivel again" glares, "I say he stays. I mean, we spent all this time training him and planning festivities in his honor and he ups and decides to leave that very moment? How uncouth can you be?" Sayaka said, "We'll just break his shins or something. That'll teach him to think about leaving us."

"People, please," Kai said as Atsushi rubbed his temples, "Let's think about this like rational people for once."

"…I…" Aoi suddenly spoke up, and looked at everyone, "I agree with Ryuuta-kun…" She continued, "I mean, Ryuuta-kun was the one who found Haji-kun, right?"

"What about us…?" Ittetsu and Atsushi said in unison, furthering destroying any hope that they could ever do anything on their own.

"I was the one who recruited him, too," Kai said, "His father was not the nicest man in the world. He was polite, but very strict."

"Hajime-san is doing the right thing overall," Ryuuta assured the squad, "Blood is thicker than water and all that, after all." Anna nodded. She assumed Ryuuta got that from her devotion to her uncle. Ryuuta held his hands out, "Everyone, we won't speak of this anymore. All we'll do is cherish the time we have with Hajime-kun. Besides, it's best that we all leave with smiles on our faces. When he needs help, we'll want to take care of him the way we always have."

The Ouendan frowned lightly as their favorite memories of the Ouendan recruit floated to the forefront of their thoughts. They couldn't possibly imagine Ouen life without him now. However, they would have to accept it...

...for him...

To Be Continued...

---

Hope you guys enjoyed it. Hajime is by far my favorite Squad Member, so I hope I did him justice...

Anyway, reviews are appreciated. Please help me out with anything I need to improve on, I beg of you. Thanks.


	2. Chapter 2

Alright. Chapter 2. I finished the novel so I can start writing other things, but I'm so far behind on uploading OTHER things, it really doesn't matter.

I wonder if other people have my problems. I mean, who WRITES more than they want to upload? Idiots, that's who.

Anyway, READ ON!

---

_It was a day just like any other. Ryuuta, new Ouendan Leader (and still partway rookie) was wondering why Kai could do practically everything from shogi to kenjutsu, when he suddenly felt a horrible, gut wrenching feeling. Someone needed help._

"_Please… please…" A silent prayer went off in Ryuuta's mind, "Someone… help me… Ouenda------n…!"_

_Ryuuta turned to Ittetsu and Atsushi, and they nodded in reply. In a flash, they were gone._

---

_Tanaka Hajime was a member of the elite in his cram school. Not only was he a musical genius, but he also knew every aspect of the human body. No one would ever expect him to be having trouble on the quiz that lay before him. However, something else was on his mind, and he knew he had to finish the quiz quickly. He just wasn't sure he could do it so fast, not without help…! He barely got his name down when he placed his head to the desk in concentration. He needed help, and he needed it badly. "Please… please…" Hajime prayed silently, "Someone… help me…" He tensed up mightily, and his pencil eraser snapped off, "Ouenda------n…!"_

_Something in the back of his mind sent his heart pumping. He looked up and around for its source, and there, hidden in the back of the class, seemingly unnoticed by the teacher, were three men, dressed from top to bottom in gakuran outfits. They were cheering for him, and Hajime suddenly felt like he could do anything._

_Pencil flying, Hajime practically burned a hole in the paper as he finished the paper and rushed up to turn it in. Bowing respectfully to his tutor, he practically flew from the room and out of the school. The Ouendan that had intently assisted Hajime blinked at each other, "Was… that it?" Ittetsu asked._

"_I doubt it…" Ippongi Ryuuta replied quietly, "Come on, follow me…" and with that, the Ouendan disappeared lightly, intent on pursuing the young student, who was rushing at full speed down to another school._

---

_Hajime stopped on the cobblestones right outside of the new school's class. Looking up, he peered at the second story window. Apparently he was looking for something within the classroom. Ryuuta blinked and the Ouendan waited for him to make his move. Hajime took a deep breath, and without thinking of the consequences, he began to cheer._

_Ryuuta found himself at a loss of words. The young man in need of help was… helping someone else? "Do you feel it, Ryuuta san?" Atsushi asked._

"_Yeah. That girl in the classroom… who's taking the test… Tanaka Shinju…? She needs help…"_

"_And our target…"_

"_Is cheering her on…" Ryuuta smirked, "Things just got interesting. Ittetsu-san, Atsushi-san." The men saluted their leader, "We've got a fellow Ouendan to assist…"_

_That's exactly what they did…_

---

_Later on, a large man stood in front of a quaint little home on the outskirts of Yuuhi Town. He tapped his shoes into place on his feet and adjusted his gakuran accordingly. The door suddenly opened, and a middle aged man peered suspiciously at him, "Who is this?"_

"_Good afternoon, Sir," The man in the hat said, bowing low to the other male on the other side of the portal, "My name is Doumeki Kai, from… the cram school that your son attends. I have come to speak to him."_

_The man's eyes bored holes into Kai's chest, wondering what the man was talking about. Why was he dressed in a gakuran? Was he a student? At that age…? Finally, he turned to a young man, "Jirou, get your brother."_

"_Yes, Father," Jirou said, scrambling away, screaming for Haji-nii-chan. Kai waited for a long while, and finally, a young man approached his father, adjusting his glasses._

"_You called, Father?"_

"_Haji-nii-chan's" father pointed at Kai, "Don't take too long with your peer," he grumbled, walking off. Kai suddenly felt real tense when the young man looked after his father, and turned to the man before him. Why did his father say "peer"…? He had never seen this man in his life!_

"_Good Afternoon, Young Man. My name is Doumeki Kai. Yours?"_

"_T…Tanaka Hajime," The young man said lightly. For a hot blooded cheering type, he certainly knew how to be anything but loud, "May I help you, Doumeki-san?"_

"_You may. I don't suppose you remember me, I'm…" Kai stopped mid-sentence, and chose his next words very carefully, "your 'high school's lead Ouendan'… yes… of course… but I doubt you recognize me…?"_

"_I'm afraid I don't," Hajime said politely. He smiled lightly and tried to keep the conversation going, even though he had no idea where to take it, "Is there a specific reason that you need to speak with me?"_

_Kai thought hard about what to say next. He had learned stuff like this from Yamaguchi Yoshi, the Squad Director before him, but he had never actually recruited anyone before. This was a first for him. Finally, he took a deep breath and continued, "You seem like an Ouendan type. You think you might be interested?"_

_Hajime blinked, unable to think of what to say, "An Ouendan? I'm not sure I can, Doumeki-san. I'm awfully busy with my studies."_

_Ah yes, that cram school of his. They were hard to get into, so Kai could understand his unwillingness to leave it. He didn't know what to do…! "T…Tanaka-san… We're short one… I do believe you would be a perfect addition to our squad, and I'm pretty sure our other members won't make fun of you too much for being the new guy in the group…"_

"_Excuse me?"_

"_Look…" Kai tried a different angle. He wasn't sure what else to do, so he tried one last thing that he was told would always work, "I'm begging you. Tanaka-san…" He shut his eyes and suddenly dropped to the ground. Hajime took a step back when he saw the much older Kai drop to the ground, bowing before the young man in humility. It was a last ditch effort, and he was only doing it for the good of the squad, "…Please… Tanaka-san…"_

"_G…Get up…!" Hajime said suddenly, looking around to make sure no one was watching, "D…Doumeki-san, just what are you doing?"_

"_I will not remove myself from the floor until you answer my question, Tanaka-san," Kai said in all seriousness. It took a moment for Hajime to finally answer him._

"…_! D…Doumeki-san…" Hajime suddenly smiled, and sighed lightly, "Doumeki-san, I'll do what I can to help you… just…please!"_

_Kai took the hint and stood, making Hajime fidget nervously. In a flutter, a card was out in-between the director's middle and index fingers. He placed it into Hajime's hand, "This is the address to our headquarters. I would like you there tonight, at five thirty, if you could…"_

"_Well, I have dinner with my family until six…"_

"_Then arrive as soon as you can," Kai said, "Thank you so much for your consideration, Tanaka-san." He turned to leave, and Hajime looked down at the card. Suddenly, a question appeared in his mind. He wanted to know more about the Ouendan, and spoke up to ask Kai the question._

"_Wait…! Doumeki-san! Where are you…?" but it was too late, the Ouendan Director had disappeared as if he was never there in the first place. Hajime looked down at the card, and blinked at the address on it. What mess had he gotten himself into this time…?_

"_Hajime-chan!" Chouko called, "I need you to go to market for me!"_

"_Y…yes Mother!" Hajime replied, shoving the card in his pocket, closing the door and tending to his mother's whims. That Kai guy… what a strange person…_

---

Hajime sighed lightly. It had been two days since he had blown up at Aoi, and even though he apologized profusely to the Cheer Girl (who accepted it with a smile), he couldn't shake the feeling of morbid sadness that befell him and the rest of the Ouendan. He really was just a recruit, but they all loved him like a brother, and the thought of him leaving forever left a stinging feeling on all of them. How could he ever leave them? It just didn't seem fair.

However, life wasn't fair, Hajime reminded himself. He made sure he had some books to read up on, a few changes of clothes and his toothbrush (had to have the toothbrush!) Afterwards, he hefted his suitcase and books up and started out the door.

"Where do you think you're going…?" The young Ouendan stopped in his tracks and turned around slightly, an embarrassed smile on his face. Just great… Ittetsu found him…

"Hello, Ittetsu-san…" Hajime said, chuckling, "I was just heading off to visit my folks. I mean, they know I've been at a dorm for the past year or two, but I'm sure they want to see me when it's so close to Seijin Day." Ittetsu rubbed his chin.

"I suppose that's alright," He said. However, before the recruit could about face and retreat, Ittetsu pointed at him, "But take someone with you."

Hajime was taken aback, "What? Why?"

"Perhaps they'd like to know one of your roommates," Ittetsu said with a smile, "Just take someone along." Hajime knew the truth. They wanted to keep tabs on him.

"Yeah, alright… I'll take someone along…" The Ouendan said, trying not to let the groan in his voice become too prominent. He turned around and walked off, deep in thought. Who should he take along that wouldn't turn his entire world upside down…?

---

"I'm so glad you invited me to visit your family, Haji-kun!" Aoi said with a smile. Hajime sighed, because the worst part was she was the best choice available. How come all the other Ouendan had to be so WEIRD? "I'll make the best impression on them ever, I promise I really do!"

"Yeah, that's great; just don't go overboard, alright?" Hajime asked, raising his hands together in prayer, "I'm begging you."

"You can count on me, Haji-kun!" the Cheer Girl proclaimed as the two approached the doorway to his house. Hajime looked at Aoi, and she smiled back, as if begging him to ring the doorbell. Everything about her seemed extremely but joyfully tense, like a cat preparing to pounce on its prey. It scared Hajime just a bit, but finally raised his hand and knocked lightly on the door. Silence ensued, but the two could hear feet shuffling on the other side of the doorway.

A young twelve year old girl threw the door open and squealed with delight at the man in front of her, "Haji-nii-chan!" She shouted, leaping up and sailing into the man's arms. The Ouendan caught her and hugged her tight.

"Shinju! How have you been?"

"Much better, thanks to your asking!" She said, nuzzling Hajime's thick gakuran and sighing in contentment. The moment she released her brother, she rushed inside and shouted to the inhabitants within, "Mama! Papa! Jiro-nii-chan! Haji-nii-chan is home!"

Grabbing her brother's wrist, she drew him inside with a joyous shout. Aoi heard the entire house suddenly shift from bored to excited, and she could feel the energy take a turn for the better. Aoi liked the feeling of the household. It was filled to the brim with love. That's why Hajime was always so happy when he talked about his family!

A young boy, probably about fifteen, entered the entryway as Hajime took off his shoes and placed them away, "Hey, nii-san. How are you?"

"Wonderful, Jirou. And you?"

"Healthy as always!" Jirou replied, rubbing his nose with a contented smile.

"Hajime-chaaaan!" Aoi blinked lightly as a bright, smiling woman suddenly erupted from the dark recesses of the household, waddling up to her eldest son and grabbing him in a hug, "You're safe! I'm so glad!"

"Mo…Mother…!" Hajime gasped, red as a beet. Aoi tried to keep from giggling at how cute he looked, "I'm…! I'm fine! The… the squad's a good squad…!"

"My poor baby, all alone without his dear mother who birthed him and suckled him and loved him and washed his underwear and…"

"Mother…!" The Ouendan recruit's siblings watched this spectacle with bright, shining eyes. Chouko was a little overbearing, and it was always fun to see their mother take out her love on someone other than them. Besides, Hajime hardly blushed around them, so it was fun to see him squeal like a stuck pig, "I…! I need to introduce you…!"

"Oh, my apologies!" Chouko said, smiling at Hajime's guest, "I didn't know he was bringing his girlfriend to meet his family!"

The recruit sighed and decided that this torture was the gods' punishment for being mean to Aoi beforehand, "Mother… she's just a coworker."

"Uh huh…" Jirou said, smiling lightly and nudging his brother as Chouko and Aoi began to speak to each other, "Like you haven't been doing anything to her. I would do it to her…"

"You would do what…?" The entire room suddenly felt a whole lot colder. Tanaka Susumu, Hajime's cold, strict father, entered the entryway and glared at everyone else, "Why are we all standing here in this room? Our guest must have a place to rest. Shinju, go secure some tea, now." And suddenly, the happy, relaxed attitude of the family seemed to disappear. Everyone scrambled to make Aoi's stay much easier, all but Hajime, who was stuck staring into the face of his father, "Well then, Hajime. How have you been?"

"Much better… thanks to your asking…" Hajime practically stuttered. Aoi suddenly felt out of place, and stopped speaking. Now she knew why Hajime was always so soft spoken, "…it's nice to see you again… Father…"

Susumu suddenly smiled, and clapped his son on the shoulder, much like Kai would do when he was pleased with the recruit's work, "Studying hard?"

"Of course."

"Good, good," And suddenly the smile was gone, "And yet you haven't introduced me to your friend? Have I taught you nothing?"

"…! I'm sorry!" Hajime cried. He immediately began with the introductions, "Father, this is Kanda Aoi-san! Uhhh, Aoi-san, this is my Father, Tanaka Susumu."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Tanaka-san. Please regard me favorably…" Aoi murmured, bowing low before the man. She was glad Kai wasn't like this; it would have been terribly uncomfortable for her…!

"Ahh, of course, child. What a well behaved young woman!" He said, smiling brightly. Hajime tried not to chuckle. If it was anything less than a guest, he wouldn't have said anything like that, "Come, Kanda-san, you shall have a seat next to mine at the table tonight."

"I thank you, Tanaka-san…" Aoi said, following closely behind him, Hajime at her heels. She knew it was hard, but she really wanted to do a good job for Hajime. She'd give the Tanaka family a good impression of the Ouendan if it was the last thing she did! Maybe then Susumu would let Hajime stay an Ouendan!

…At least, she could hope…

---

The food was good, and the table was handsomely prepared. Aoi found that even though Susumu was strict, the entire household ran like clockwork. Hajime was lucky to have such a wonderful family. She spoke politely, and tried to keep from fidgeting slightly when the family made fun of her friend. He was such an integral part of the family; she felt a little left out.

"So Hajime-chan," Chouko said, smiling at her son, "Tell us more about Aoi-chan. How did you two meet? It couldn't have just been that you were both Ouendan, could it?"

"Yeah, hey nii-san, when did you two become an item?" Jirou asked, poking his chopsticks at his brother.

"I'm sorry for interrupting…" Aoi suddenly said, glancing at Hajime's frustrated face, "But I am… Haji…me-kun and I are just squad members. Our relationship is purely platonic."

There was silence as the people stared at Aoi, chewing very slowly. "Oh, I see… platonic," Chouko said with a smile. She then spoke up with something that made her eldest son's face go aflame, "So you're not getting married yet, Hajime-chan? When can I expect you to…?"

"Leave Hajime alone, You," Susumu said to his wife, hardly paying her any attention, "He's too busy with his studies to worry about a relationship."

"But Darling," Chouko said, almost too quickly, so she sounded almost like she was whining, "I want some grandchildren."

Susumu didn't seem to believe that his wife deserved to be looked at, and instead ate what was in front of him as he spoke, "You'll get them when the time comes… but now…"

"Mother, Father…" Hajime turned to each of his parents in succession, attempting in vain to calm the rising storm, "must we talk about this now…? We're supposed to be having a nice time…" He gestured to the children across from him, who were picking at their food, "Can we save it for another time?"

Hajime tensed when Susumu bristled. Any time at the Ouendan HQ Kai would have accepted such a plea, but his father was anything but open minded, "Hajime, you would do best to watch your tongue when speaking to your parents."

Even Aoi shrunk back at the man's tone. She picked at her dinner as the man stared at his son. The dinner suddenly turned from warm to cold…! "Y… yes Father. My apologies." Susumu returned to sipping his tea, and Aoi shivered lightly.

---

Hajime soon found himself doing much of the chores he had once done when he was younger. He fluffed towels out and folded dried clothes, and was soon found by Aoi, who had been given a tour of the house by Shinju, "Hi, Haji-kun," She said, watching him as he folded the laundry, "Your family seems very nice."

"I'm glad you think so," Hajime replied, finding it much harder to look at her now that everyone was insistent that they were really going out.

"Oh, I was looking at some of your family photos, and I had forgotten how adorable you looked in a ponytail," The recruit blinked, his face tinged with red, "Do you remember? You used to have the nicest black hair… and you tied it back…" Aoi giggled, "You looked especially nice on your thirteenth birthday…"

"Why bring it up now?" The young man asked (trying to get rid of his red face) as the Cheer Girl sat down and looked at a few photos on the wall. Aoi then turned to Hajime and smiled.

"Don't you remember, at the beginning of dinner? Your mother was talking to me about how she was surprised that you had shaved it." Aoi said, smiling brightly, "She told me how much she loved your long hair."

"What are you trying to do, make me feel guilty?" Hajime pointed out that, "It was you who wanted me to shave it."

"Oh…" Aoi said innocently, "Did I?" A smirk had appeared on her face.

Hajime felt almost put upon. How come women always ganged up on men for no reason at random times? "Yeah, you said, 'Haji-kun! Your hair is so dull! You need to change it!'"

"I don't sound like that…" Aoi said, looking away with an angry look on her face. It was true though… it was she who had convinced him to shave it off. Well… almost… kinda… maybe kinda sorta…

---

_Hajime didn't seem to be very comfortable. Everyone was staring at him. The leader, Ryuuta, smiled at the young man, "So! Kai actually went along and grabbed you, huh?"_

"_I don't think 'grabbed' was the proper term, Ippongi-Sempai…" Hajime murmured. Ryuuta burst into laughter, "Ahhh, was it something I said, Ippongi-Sempai?"_

"_Oh GOD that's rich! 'Sempai' indeed!" The leader walked off to laugh properly. Hajime wondered if he had somehow insulted Ryuuta and he was just trying to be nice…_

_Atsushi and Ittetsu gave him a warm welcome into the fold and Sayaka said that he would make a fine addition to the Ouendan. Anna gave him a welcome kiss on the forehead (and the recruit melted), and Aoi walked up to inspect him properly._

"_M…may I help you, Aoi-san…?" Hajime asked, thoroughly embarrassed and still red in the face. She stared intently at him, and he continued to twitch. A woman never actually looked at him that way before! "I mean… if there's something on my face…"_

"_Haji-kun…" Aoi said suddenly, interrupting the new recruit. He gave her an acknowledging murmur, his face trying its very hardest to return to a normal color, "Your hair is so dull! You need to change it."_

_Hajime looked up at Aoi, "Wait, what?" He asked, blinking._

"_Your ponytail… It's so… How can I say this…?" Aoi thought lightly, "Perhaps you need a change, Haji-kun?"_

"_I'm not changing my hairstyle," Hajime replied with a "And that's that" tone, wondering why she would be so forward about it. They weren't on familiar terms at all! What kind of wacky Ouendan troop was this, anyway? "I like it. My mother happens to like it too."_

"_Ohhhh…" Aoi smiled, placing her hands behind her back and smiling maliciously, "So you're doing it because you'd do anything to make Mommy happy, right?"_

_Hajime gave her a half-banked stare; his face had returned to relative normalcy, "Do you enjoy trying to manipulate men with the 'Mommy's boy' accusation?" He asked, making Aoi smile brightly._

"_I was thinking, it's more of a conviction, right?" Aoi stood up, "You've gotta change! Haji-kun, you're not just some boring old normal person now! You're an OUENDAN. And you should show the others that you hold the conviction to focus wholly on being one!" Hajime continued to blink at Aoi, and she winked, "Come on, Haji-kun! What kind of hairstyle just SCREAMS 'conviction'?" The recruit turned to see where his room was that Kai had spoken of. Maybe he would think twice about staying in the dorms now that he saw what his roommates would be like… However, Aoi would not be ignored, "Haji-kun…!"_

_The recruit thought about it, and turned to face the Cheer Girl, "Well, you know…" Hajime said, just to humor the young woman, "The Buddhist monks? They shave their heads when they enter the order. It's supposed to symbolize the fact that they don't need anything, not even their hair… but…" The recruit smiled lightly, "You'd need a lot of conviction to shave off all of the hair you've spent so long to grow out."_

"_Wow, Haji-kun, you really are good at this kind of stuff!" Aoi said. Hajime wondered if SHE was just humoring him now… "Well? What do you think? Could you be convicted enough to shave your head?"_

_Hajime smiled at Aoi, "I don't know, could you?"_

"_Touché…" Aoi said with a perfect accent, giggling under her breath, "but I guess wearing our Cheer Girl uniforms is my conviction." Hajime blinked expectantly at her, and she gestured to the outfit she was wearing, "If I wore this around my parents, they'd be so horrified…"_

_Hajime was taken aback about the fact that Aoi suddenly opened up to him so much. Perhaps that was why she spoke so informally to him. She already felt comfortable around him… but why…? "I'm sure everyone gave up something to be known as an Ouendan. It's an honor, but it's also a curse. You're never really the same when you become a cheerer." Aoi smiled, "I was just surprised to see that you didn't seem to have given anything up yet…" She bowed lightly to the recruit and started out of the living room, "I'm sorry for bothering you, Haji-kun. Forgive me."_

_Hajime thought about what the Cheer Girl said. Was it true? Had the others given up things for their lives as Ouendan? It was true that, seeing Kai, he seemed to have the strength, smarts, and willpower to do nearly anything he wanted, and that Ryuuta guy seemed like the type to be starting trouble, not ending it (although he'd NEVER say it to the leader's face!) Everyone seemed so weird, and could have been working for his or her own ends… but they gave it all up to cheer for people they didn't even know. That… was their conviction. Suddenly, Hajime knew what he needed to do. He turned to the retreating Aoi, and smiled at her, "Hey, Aoi-chan. Do you know where Ryuuta-san's shaver is…?"_

---

"I gave up my… my hair because…" Hajime thought about it wholeheartedly, "Because my hair symbolized me and my family… our bond…" He reached up to touch his shaved head, which was already beginning to grow back, and it felt slightly prickly, "And this head… this is the hair of an Ouendan!"

"Well said, Haji-kun," Aoi said with a smile. It disappeared, however, when she saw how sad he looked.

"But… I'm not going to be an Ouendan forever…"

"Haji-kun…!"

"So I'm don't think… I'll ever shave my head again…" Hajime turned to his friend, "You know, you said I looked nice with my hair long. It'll only take a few years… but it'll be back to normal soon."

"I suppose…" Aoi said with a halfhearted smile.

The two were interrupted when Chouko called for her son. Hajime looked up from his pile of laundry as his mother entered the room, holding a small package in her arms, "Ahh, here you are, Hajime-chan. I wanted to give you something."

"Something… for me?" Hajime asked, as if a gift were a surprise. It was true that it was rare for him to get a gift from the other Ouendan, but it was almost Seijin Day, after all!

"I thought you might enjoy it, for Seijin Day…" She handed the gift to her son, and Hajime inspected the package, all wrapped up in a bow.

"I… Mother… Thank you…" Chouko led him to a seat so he could tear the paper off, and Aoi watched with vested interest as Hajime lifted the cover and stared at what was inside, "…Wh…what is…?" Taking a moment to finger the craftsmanship of the textile within the box, the Cheer Girl watched as he held up a formal dress kimono, expertly made, darkly died, and probably very expensive, "Mother, you…"

"Your father and I picked it out together," Chouko said with a smile, "we wanted to congratulate you, Hajime-chan. You're an adult…" Hajime looked up at his mother as she tried to keep from crying, "I… I can't call you 'chan' anymore…"

"Mother…" Hajime tenderly laid the kimono back into the box, placed it aside, and stood to hug his weeping mother, "Thank you… so much… it must have cost a fortune…"

Aoi watched the scene unfold, a silent fly on the wall. She smiled brightly, remembering that Chouko mentioned that Susumu helped find the kimono as well. Susumu must have been so proud of Hajime, growing to his age so healthy and smart. The Cheer Girl did her best to stand and slide from the room without being noticed. For such a loud Ouendan, she did a perfect job at being soundless.

"Aoi-chan… are you leaving?" Aoi suddenly turned around, seeing Shinju standing before her. Aoi had wished to apply her shoes and slip out of the house without being spotted, but it was almost obvious that she would probably be caught. Hajime's siblings were very bright, after all, "Was our hospitality not good enough for you? We all did our best to make you at home…"

"Oh, Shinju-chan," It was surprising how comfortable she felt around Hajime's younger sister, "I'm not leaving because of that. I just don't want to steal away your time with your brother anymore."

Shinju blinked, "But… if you're…" The girl flinched when Aoi placed her hand on the girl's head and smiled.

"Take care of my Haji-kun for me, alright?" She asked, smiling brightly. Shinju blinked at the strange action of the woman, who straightened up, applied her shoes, and left the house.

Hajime's younger sister blinked at the door that Aoi left out of, and suddenly placed her hands on her hips, "'MY Haji-kun'? I knew it! They ARE an item…!" And with that revelation prominent in her mind, she turned on her heel and went to finish her chores.

To Be Continued...

---

Aoi has a conviction to let Hajime go. The Ouendan tried their hardest to hold onto him, but overall, it's his choice.

Will Hajime choose to return to the cheerers he loves?


	3. Chapter 3

It took me a while to get this up. Apparently FF dot net HATES FIREFOX now for whatever the hell reason (probably because it actually blocks their stupid ads), so it wouldn't let me edit this correctly. Anyway, I guess I'll browse in Firefox and upload in Internet Explorer.

READ ON!

---

_Few times were the Ouendan HQ ever in a state of crisis. One of them had to do with Squad Director Kai. It started when Aoi screamed, startling every Ouendan into action._

"_Aoi-chan! Aoi-chan, what's wrong?" Sayaka asked as she rushed into the training room. Aoi was struggling on the groaning, prone form of Kai, whose foot had been crushed by a large dumbbell._

"_Sayaka-san! Kai-san! I didn't mean to!" Aoi sobbed, as the man steeled himself against the pain, "I didn't mean to run into you!"_

"_A…Aoi-san…" Kai flinched as he adjusted his seating, "Fell… into me… Naturally, I dropped it… It's just a stroke of luck… it didn't fall on her…"_

"_What's going on?" Anna was next to enter the room, followed closely by Ryuuta, who was still trying to apply his gakuran (as his hair was wet and unstylized), "K…Kai-san! Ryuuta-kun, hurry!"_

"_R…Right!" Ryuuta said as Ittetsu and Atsushi entered. With a few of the cheerers working together, they were able to remove the giant training equipment (Ryuuta could have sworn he read that it was several hundred kilograms in weight. Why did Kai have to do everything so extraordinarily?)_

"_How do you feel, Kai-san?" Atsushi asked as Ryuuta helped the man up. Anna inspected the ankle, and frowned._

"_It doesn't look too bad," She said of the ankle, which hadn't even changed in color. She looked up at Kai, "Do you think you can you walk on it?"_

"_I would doubt it…" Kai replied, "But…"_

"_It sounds like a sprain," Sayaka said, "Would it be best to walk it off?"_

"_Crutches or walking, whatever you decide, please do it fast…!" Ryuuta hissed, groaning under the man's weight._

"_I'm sorry I'm late…!" Everyone turned to see Tanaka Hajime, only a month old Ouendan, suddenly rush in, his new headband waved its tails happily as he entered the room, "I needed to pick up some…"_

"_Don't worry about it, Hajime-kun," Sayaka said with a smile, "Kai-san's fine, Anna's an expert at First Aid, and she already diagnosed it as a sprain."_

"_You," Sayaka looked up at Anna in question. Anna continued her sentence, "You diagnosed it as a sprain."_

"_K…Kai-san…! Would you lay off whatever steroids you're taking…!?" Ryuuta groaned._

"_Well, I have a first aid kit here… I was looking around for it; that's why I was late. Can you believe I found it behind the rat poisoning?" Hajime began to chastise the Ouendan, "Really, you people; you should all place such special stuff in a more accessible place. What if someone had a break and no one knew where…"_

"_My back's going to be the only thing that's breaking around here!!" Ryuuta shouted. Ittetsu finally got the hint and went to assist the leader._

"_We should get it on a splint before you can walk, Aoi-san, can you find something Doumeki-san can use as a crutch?" Aoi was glad to help in anyway, and rushed off to find an appropriate item. Hajime knelt down to inspect Kai's foot, and he tenderly took the now naked foot, "Hmmm… Doumeki-san, do you mind if I…?" Kai winced as Hajime turned the foot lightly, but the slight hiss he gave out was a sign that the recruit could continue._

_The young man did his best for Kai, and everyone watched him, almost amazed at how professional he looked, "Doumeki-san, I don't think you should be on this foot. The ankle looks like it's fractured, maybe a hairline… I wouldn't know for sure unless we got an X-ray… but you know…"_

"_I understand," Kai replied as Hajime began wrapping the ankle, making sure to keep the pain as low as possible, "Ryuuta-san, Sayaka-san."_

"_Yes?" Sayaka spoke up. Ryuuta just groaned in reply._

"_I need you two… to watch the place while Atsushi and I check into the hospital. Do you understand?"_

"_Understood, Kai-san," came the reply from the two. Aoi had returned with a rather huge wooden plank (where she found it would remain a mystery to all), that Kai was able to use as a crutch. It didn't seem like it was the most comfortable, but he was never one to complain about anything._

"_Hajime-san," Kai suddenly said. Hajime looked up at the man, and even though he didn't smile, a prideful energy surrounded him, "Thank you for your work. I feel better already."_

_Hajime blushed from embarrassment, "I didn't do much, Doumeki-san…"_

_Kai didn't reply to that. He just motioned for Atsushi to follow him, and the two left the break room to get the director's foot looked at. Hajime packed up the kit silently and thoughtfully, and was the next to leave. Those who remained turned to each other, all smiles. Really, what would they do without their new recruit…?_

---

"Aoi-chan… you what…?" Sayaka murmured. Aoi shivered lightly as she fought the tears that were coming.

"I… I let him go…" She said, smiling lightly, "I couldn't just keep watching him like that… He looked so happy with his family… so I let him go…"

"But… Aoi-chan…"

Aoi fidgeted with the hem of her skirt, and wrapped her fists around the cloth, "I'm sorry… I shouldn't have… but I did… I just wanted Haji-kun to be happy…" Her same smile, the smile that hid her sadness, was prominent on her face, "I would give up being an Ouendan to have a family like his, one that loved him unconditionally…"

Sayaka suddenly reached out and wrapped her arms around Aoi, and the two sat on the couch that Hajime frequented with his various medical books. Sayaka held her friend in an embrace and let her cry, "Oh, Aoi-chan… you know we're your family…"

"I know… but Haji-kun's family… they love him so much…" Aoi sniffled lightly, "They deserve him so much more than we do…" Sayaka sighed softly. She didn't want to admit it, but Aoi was right. All the Cheer Leader did was make Hajime's life harder than necessary… he deserved a family that wasn't so hard on him…

---

"_Hajime-kun…" Sayaka said as she found her that her yoga student was rebelling, "you need to work harder at this!"_

"_It's not good at all," Hajime replied, groaning lightly from his position on the ground, "My back is hurting, my feet are twinging… how is this supposed to help me clear my mind? I…"_

"_Don't complain. Kai-san has entrusted me with the training of your mind, and that's exactly what I'm going to do. We Amemiyas are very attuned to it, so I'm the best choice in training you."_

"_But I don't see how this is supposed to help." Hajime replied truthfully, "I can't concentrate unless I'm thinking of something. To have my mind so empty…"_

"_It's foreign, isn't it?" Sayaka said, smirking lightly, "I got that from Anna-chan and Ryuuta-san as well. Sometimes you just have to live with it. Now clear that mind and we'll continue."_

_Hajime sighed. He breathed in… and breathed out… and groaned, "I'm sorry, Sayaka-san, but this…"_

"_A real Ouendan would never complain! He must always be vigilant for people who need him!" Sayaka said suddenly, "Hajime-kun, you must continue this!"_

"_Why is this so important to you?" Hajime asked, "Just because you can do it and I can't doesn't mean a thing! It's not like it's your only redeeming quality! I'm sure you and your sister…"_

"_Don't you EVER…" Hajime immediately swallowed his tongue and shut up when Sayaka's voice rose exponentially. He had never heard her so mad before, "talk about my sister and I as if you knew what she was like. You know nothing. NOTHING."_

_The recruit began to stand, hoping to apologize to the young woman. Sayaka's deceased twin was important to the Cheer Girl, but he didn't know she loved her sibling that much, "S…Sayaka-san, I didn't mean…"_

"_If you don't want to train like Kai-san EXPRESSLY told you to, then you are free to leave. Just go."_

"_Sayaka-san…"_

_Sayaka hugged herself tightly, facing away from Hajime if only to quell the rage that was building. The recruit didn't even know she was so touchy about the subject of her sister! "Get out of my sight!"_

_Hajime stood and walked slowly from the room, "You know…" He said quietly, "Doumeki-san said that Takara-dono was one of the best Cheer Girls he ever saw. I would think that she would be happy to see you happy. No person would want to know that their loved one was sad after they passed on…" Hajime sighed, "I wouldn't want my brother and sister to be sad for me… I'd want them to be happy… and live for both themselves and for me."_

_Sayaka looked up and turned around to say something, but Hajime was already gone. She pursed her lips, shook slightly, and wiped tears from her eyes._

_How come a lowly recruit had to be smarter than her…?_

---

The Ouendan HQ suddenly became very quiet. In the few days between their loss of Hajime and Seijin Day, the entire squad seemed to lose a part of their fire. The moment they appeared to people who needed them, their fire would explode in passionate work. However, the moment they returned home, the squad seemed to lose everything. Without their recruit they had come to love, nothing seemed to be alright.

"Ryuuta-kun…" Anna murmured, "I wanted to know if you wanted to go out to a restaurant tomorrow. Seijin Day's only two days away… and there aren't that many bookings for tomorrow…"

"Thanks…" Ryuuta muttered, leaning over his bottle and twirling it on a side of its bottom, "but I don't feel like it."

"Ryuuta-kun, we all are sad about Hajime-kun… but really… everyone looks up to you. Without your fire…"

"Kai-san has enough fire for two…"

"You really are a baby, you know that?" Anna said, placing her hands on her hips, "Not everything in the world can be exactly what you want…"

Ryuuta practically pouted, refusing to answer his friend. She sighed and took a step forward, "Ryuuta-kun… do you mind?" He gave a mutter and she sat down next to him, "Ryuuta-kun… I can't stand to look at you when you're this sad. Isn't there anything I can do to cheer you up…?"

Ryuuta looked like he was in thought, and suddenly he smiled brightly. Anna knew exactly what he was thinking, and she crossed her arms, "Aside from sneaking into Hajime-kun's room in the dead of night, tying him from head to toe in surgical tape, and kidnapping him from his own house for your nefarious deeds."

"You're no fun…" The Ouendan Leader groaned, placing his head against the table of the break room. Anna reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder, massaging him lightly.

"Don't worry," she said with a smile, "I'm sure when we find another Ouendan to work with, you'll enjoy training him as much as you did Hajime-kun. Cheer up, Ryuuta-kun."

"I don't want another recruit… I want Hajime-san… He's MY recruit… and no doctorate'll change that."

Anna sighed and stood up, "Fine, just wallow in your own self pity. I have better things to do…" She waited for a moment, hoping that he would look up and apologize to her, but when he didn't, she turned and walked from the room in a huff. The moment she closed the door and she was certain her leader couldn't hear her, she covered her mouth with her hand and began to sob quietly, "Hajime-kun… please… please come back…" she was able to squeak, hiccupping softly, "we need you…"

---

It was one day away from Seijin Day. Tanaka Hajime was pouring over yet another medical book. He looked to be concentrating hard, but suddenly gave out an annoyed shout and grabbed at his head, "Darn it…!"

"Haji-nii-chan…?" Hajime turned quickly in his seat. Shinju had poked her head into the room, and she was holding a large basket of laundry, "Haji-nii-chan, are you okay…?"

Hajime stiffened, but relinquished it and leaned back lightly, "Hey Shinju. I'm sorry I shouted."

"Are you okay…?"

The girl's brother blinked, and sighed, leaning against his desk, "I'm afraid not, Shinju… I've been feeling a little ill…"

"Are you sick?" Shinju asked, placing the basket on the floor and walking up to feel her brother's forehead, "You don't have a fever."

"I suppose it's just that I haven't recovered fully from my cheering. I could swear there are still people begging me to help them. It's hard to concentrate with that nagging feeling in the back of my head."

"Well, if they need your help, shouldn't you try and help them…?"

"I would… but I'm busy," Hajime said, "If I want to get into a real college, I have to work hard. I'm already a few years behind. Don't worry, Shinju, I'll be better by Seijin Day, promise."

"Why don't you want to help them…?" Shinju asked, frowning in thought, "Haji-nii-chan… you help Jiro-nii-chan and I… don't others deserve help too…?"

"But…! That's different… you're my family!"

"So other people don't deserve your help…?" Shinju didn't seem to understand, "I mean, when you become a doctor, are you going to only help us…?"

Hajime was at a loss for words, and bit his bottom lip, "Well… Father… he wants me to…"

"I see," Shinju said, dropping the matter immediately when Susumu was brought up. She went to pick up the laundry and started out the door, "I'm sorry for bringing it up." Hajime blinked as she walked from the room and closed the door behind her. The former Ouendan stared after his sister, and suddenly felt the twinge in the back of his head.

"Dammit…!" Hajime groaned, "Fine! Fine! I get it!" He shut the book closed and stood up. Pulling out his headband that proudly bore his squad's logo, he wrapped it around his head and left the room. He had to talk to his father.

---

"What did you say?" Susumu asked, glaring at his son.

"Father, I want to be a doctor. It's a wonderful profession that deserves plenty of praise and respect," Hajime said, hoping to quell some of the anger that was rising in his father as he spoke, "But I was born with something special. I think… it would be best if I stayed an Ouendan. That's what I was born to be." The son nodded, "I mean, I know that everyone's special… but it's different than that… you know?"

"I see…" Susumu said. Hajime brightened when he spoke, but he immediately changed his tune, "So you want to be a selfish snit who would rather drum your little drums and sing your pathetic songs, rather than doing something worthwhile for your family?"

Those words cut Hajime like a knife. Susumu's son shrunk back, his mouth opening and closing like a beached fish. He finally opened his mouth, "But…! Father, I don't want to be selfish… I just…!"

"Then work hard and become a bread earner for your family. My father and his father all worked hard for their families, and you will continue the Tanaka tradition. I will NOT have my son becoming a filthy…"

"Ouendan help people in need!" Hajime suddenly said, wishing only slightly that he had the squad to back him up with some cheering, "Father, if I don't become an Ouendan… then I'll truly be selfish! Selfish people help only their families when they can help the entire world…!"

The twenty-year-old immediately regretted speaking up. Susumu was shaking with rage, and his face was turning red, "So… is that it…? I'm the one being selfish…?" He asked.

"Father! I didn't mean it like that…!" Hajime said suddenly, begging forgiveness by dropping to the floor and bowing low, "Father, I meant no disrespect, I'm so sorry!"

"You can go." Susumu said, "Just know that the moment you leave this house to pursue your cheering… my son will be dead to me."

"Father… Forgive me…" Hajime ground his teeth when Susumu left the room, striding from the place with an aura of anger sailing after him. The young man hadn't meant to speak up! What an idiot! "Dammit…!!"

"Nii-san…" Hajime looked up, and dragged himself upright when he noticed that his brother was looking down at him, "Nii-san, you didn't get into a fight with Father, did you…?"

Hajime took off his red headband, and hid it in his gakuran's pocket, "Wha…t made you think that…?" He said, making Jirou frown. Hajime always did his best to keep his siblings from worrying about him.

"I'm sorry you got yelled at, nii-san," Jirou said, knowing exactly what the fight was about, "It's not fair you can't still be an Ouendan." The boy gave his brother a "thumbs up", "You look so cool that way!"

Hajime chuckled, but stuffed his headband further in his pocket, "I suppose so…"

"Nii-san." Suddenly Jirou looked very serious, "Shinju and I are rooting for you! We can't cheer very well like you can, but do you remember when you cheered us on to win that baseball match when we were kids? The entire neighborhood was against us, and you cheered us on to victory! I knew then that this is what you're supposed to do! So you do what you want, alright? Whatever Father says, you'll always be my big brother, and I'm sure Shinju-chan and Mother will agree!"

"J…Jirou…"

The younger boy frowned, "I'm done now," He said bluntly, "Before things get any sappier. But just remember, if you don't do what you'll be happiest at, then Shinju-chan and Mother will be sad. And then I'll never forgive you!" And with that said, Jirou tromped out of the room, looking a little mad that he let his emotions get the best of him.

Hajime looked down at his shiny, black shoes, and smiled lightly. He looked back up, adjusted his glasses, and pulled out his headband, staring intently at the logo that sat upon it. The smile on his face widened, and he wrapped it securely around his head. He'd have to shave his head soon. It would look silly with half grown hair at the Seijin Shiki!

But first he had to prepare…! He turned to prepare for tomorrow. Tomorrow was a special day, after all!

---

The ceremony of Seijin Shiki would have bored most of the twenty year olds of Yuuhi Town, but Hajime was on pins and needles. It wasn't just because of his excitement of adulthood; he wanted to speak with his mother. He wanted to ask her if she really did approve of his decision. He was still afraid, after all.

Although the free money from the government was quite nice. Nothing destroyed fears and worries like a fat check of yen.

"Hey, nii-san!" Jirou said as Hajime's family met with him after the ceremony. Shinju covered her mouth to hide her giggling, and Jirou smirked smugly at his brother's dark kimono and hakama, rubbing his nose lightly, "So, are you going to grab a bokken and practice Kendo now?"

"Not funny, Jirou," Hajime said, frowning at his brother. Chouko approached her son and smiled brightly at him.

"Oh, Hajime…" Chouko said, sniffling terribly. She had been crying so much the entire day. The woman's son noticed that she didn't add "chan" to his name. He was an adult now, and deserved a name befitting an adult. He suddenly felt that he wasn't as close as he once was to his mother; but then… at the same time, he felt closer to her than ever before. If one could feel that way. Stupid conflicting emotions… "You're an adult now… I don't know what I'll do now… you're not my little boy anymore…"

"Mother, I'll always be your son, whether I'm an Ouendan or a doctor," Hajime replied, although he ended the sentence with a rising intonation, as if to ask, "It's true, right?"

Chouko reached out to hug her son, "Oh, Hajime! You know that I'll love you no matter what! I don't care who you are, you silly boy…"

"Mother…" Hajime thought hard. Susumu wasn't with the rest of the family. The young man supposed that his father was busy with some road construction a little ways from town, "Mother… I'm going, alright?"

"Hajime, make me proud," Chouko said, reaching up to touch her son's cheek. It was so warm, pulsating with life. She knew her son would be special, even before he was born. She reached up and kissed her son on the cheek, "I will always love you, my son."

Hajime felt assured by his mother's words. He looked at his siblings; Shinju was sniffling lightly from joyful tears, and Jirou gave his brother another "thumbs up", "Don't let the Tanaka family down, nii-san!"

"I promise," Hajime said brightly, turning to rush off towards the Ouendan HQ.

"Hajime, don't you dare run in that kimono! Do you know how much money your father spent on it!?" Chouko suddenly shouted. Hajime nearly fell from stopping too suddenly. He was so caught up in the moment, he totally forgot about that…!

He continued to walk off towards the Ouendan HQ to make sure he didn't ruin his outfit. Even now he could still do things that children forget… He still had a lot of growing to do…

To Be Continued

---

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it!


	4. Chapter 4

A kind fan continued to remind me how much s/he liked this story, so I was reminded to update it. There's only ONE more chapter, so hurray and all that!

Anyway: READ ON!

---

The Ouendan HQ wasn't cheerful at all. Aoi was muttering Latin to herself in the form of sock puppets, Kai brooded in a corner, and even Atsushi and Ittetsu didn't seem to be all that intent on playing Shogi with each other. Sayaka seemed not to care about Seijin Day, but it was taking a toll on her as well. She holed herself up in her room, and didn't speak to anyone for the entire day.

Anna couldn't bear to see her fellow Ouendan acting so depressed, and she did her best to try and cheer them up, "Aoi-chan, shall we practice our cheers together?" Anna was replied to by a sock puppet with an old mop for a wig. It spouted something that the American assumed was Latin, and returned to speaking to its friend, which was Aoi's other sock puppet.

Anna turned around and went to find Kai. He seemed to be hiding away from the others, sitting in a chair and staring deeply out the window, "Kai-san," Anna began, "is there anything I can do to help make the others feel better?"

"I'm thinking about that right now…" Kai replied, looking out the window with a faraway look in his eye. He seemed to be concentrating hard.

"Have you thought of anything yet?"

"I'm thinking about that right now…" Kai replied. Anna sighed.

"Thanks anyway, Kai-san…"

Anna went to go speak to Sayaka, and suddenly she heard an angry shout reverberate through the place. She looked up and rushed towards the sound. Ryuuta was shouting again! That was always a good sign!

"Dammit!!" Ryuuta shouted, grabbing at his hair, "I can't…! I can't take it anymore!"

"Ryuuta-kun!" Anna said, sliding into the living room on her socks, "Don't do anything rash! You know your blood pressure is always teetering on the edge of safety!"

"How can I remain calm with THAT staring at me?" Ryuuta pointing an accusing finger at the couch in the living room. Anna blinked at it, "It's… it's just STARING at me! All empty…! As if it's mocking me! 'Look, Ryuuta! Look! Hajime-kun isn't sitting in me, reading his damned books and acting like a know-it-all bastard!' Damn you, couch! Stop STARING at me!" Anna sighed. Everyone was beginning to crack. Without Hajime… she didn't know how long she'd last either…

"Ryuuta-kun…" Anna said, "You shouldn't…" She gasped when he started tromping from the room, "Ryuuta-kun, what are you doing?"

"The thing I should have done from the very beginning," Ryuuta replied between his stomping, "breaking into Hajime-kun's room in the dead of night, wrapping from head to toe in surgical tape, and kidnapping him for my own nefarious deeds."

"Ryuuta-kun, you're acting irrationally, everyone here isn't in their right mind. You should be very well aware of the fact that you simply cannot…" Anna rushed forward and stopped her friend at the door, "Ryuuta-kun, listen to me!"

"This isn't fair, Anna-san!" Ryuuta shouted hot bloodedly, making Anna's defense fall just a bit. The power of cheer was a strong ability after all, "You know it isn't!"

"I do! But you can't just…!" Anna struggled to keep Ryuuta away from the doorknob, "Ryuuta-kun! Stop it! Stop it! Leave that alone!" She suddenly started giggling when her friend attacked her maliciously at her most ticklish locations. What an underhanded tactic to get her to give up! "Ryuuta-kun! Sto… hehehehehe! Stop it…! You know I'm… hahahahaha, sensitive there…!"

The two stopped their fumbling immediately, and they stared at each other when they heard tiny knocks on the door; they worked quickly to pick themselves up and look presentable. Ryuuta coughed lightly and opened the door, revealing Tanaka Hajime, whose nose was beginning to run with blood, "…hi…?" He squeaked, staring at the two frazzled Ouendan.

"I swear, if you say anything, Hajime-kun, I will mash you into paste," Ryuuta said quickly, pointing a threatening finger at the recruit. Said recruit gulped and nodded vigorously. Anna straightened her hair and made her more acceptable, and looked down at Hajime.

"Hello, Hajime-kun. What brings you here?" She said, wiping sweat that had been accumulating on her brow.

Hajime didn't reply immediately. It was probably because he wasn't sure what to say that would keep him from becoming paste. Either that or his brain shut off, "I… I… wanted to say…" He shook his head and snapped from his stupor, "I wanted to say that I'm sorry for leaving you guys! I don't care what Father says, I'm going to be an Ouendan! I promise!" There was silence for a moment, and Hajime wondered why they were so quiet, "Uh… that's a good thing, right?"

"Are you KIDDING!?" Ryuuta suddenly shouted. Hajime jumped a foot in the air from fright, "If you ask that question again, I'll mash you…"

"…into paste, I know…" Hajime said as Ryuuta wrapped an arm around the recruit and swept him into the HQ. Anna followed closely behind as the Ouendan Leader filled his lungs with air and shouted louder than he had all month:

"Hey guys! Hajime-kun's back!" The moment those words escaped the leader's mouth, something about the Headquarters seemed to brighten. The HQ was revived and returned to life. The Ouendan materialized from the misty recesses of the now forgotten emofest, and slowly gravitated towards the sound that claimed the very thing they desired: a recruit they had come to love and trust.

"Haji-kun…?" Aoi murmured, poking her head into the entryway, her sock puppets still on her hands, "Haji-kun's back…?"

"You bet! And he dressed up like an idiot to say 'sorry'!" Ryuuta replied with a smile.

Hajime sighed, "An idiot, you say…?"

"Haji-kun, you're back!"

"Hajime-kun's back?"

"Hajime-san…?"

The entryway soon became very crowded. Aoi threw her sock puppets into Ittetsu's arms and she sailed to her friend's side, "Haji-kun! I was so sad that you were gone!"

"Everyone missed you, Hajime-san," Kai rumbled, speaking as if nothing had happened. Anna simply smiled, trying not to cry. Her prayers had been answered. Everyone had surrounded Hajime, and they began to thank him.

"For what?" Hajime asked, a little confused at people thanking him for some mysterious reason.

Sayaka sniffled lightly, "For coming back…"

"I say we celebrate!" Ryuuta said, squeezing Hajime close to him, "break out the sake! You're twenty! Time to celebrate!"

"I don't think I want to drink, Ryuuta-san…"

"Nonsense, you need to grow up," The leader replied, dragging the kimono clad recruit off, "And you need to take off this outfit! It's as if you flew out of the Meiji Era!"

"Mother and Father bought it for me specially…" Hajime said lightly, "It was a gift…"

A gift…! The other Ouendan looked at each other, and realized that because of their assumption that Hajime wouldn't be with them, most had completely forgotten about a gift…! Anna gestured to Ryuuta to keep the recruit busy, and the others went into an emergency huddle.

"Alright, we need to figure out what to do about Hajime-kun's gift." Anna said.

"What do you mean 'we'?" Aoi asked. Everyone turned to her, "I have a gift for Haji-kun. You're the ones who forgot…!"

"Aside from Aoi-san, then," Atsushi said as Ittetsu handed the sock puppets back to her, "What can we get him?"

"I have an idea," Kai said. He explained, "It will be from all of us. Is that appropriate?"

"I suppose, but then Aoi-chan will give him two gifts…" Sayaka said, "It wouldn't seem…"

Anna sighed, "Alright, so everyone BUT Aoi-chan will give him Kai's gift, and Aoi-chan will hand over her own gift. Good?"

"Sounds fine," Kai said, "Let's prepare." The Ouendan nodded to each other, and rushed off to prepare the gifts perfectly.

---

Hajime pet the inebriated Ryuuta on the back as he slurred his words and asked how his recruit handled living with eight eyes, "It's not so bad," He replied as he adjusted his glasses, "You just need to keep from listening to people when they make fun of you."

"You also need to keep from listening to your father when he acts like a prick."

"Ryuuta-san! That's my father you're speaking about! Drunk or not, I will not have you talk about him that way…!"

"Why aren't you drunk too…?" Ryuuta asked, glaring at Hajime with crossed eyes. Hajime sighed.

"You preferred to drink everything you gave to me," Hajime said with a smile. Ryuuta immediately gave a rather large belch, and the recruit leaned against his hand, watching his leader try to count the number of fingers he was holding up.

"Heheh… three… or is it two…?" Ryuuta yawned loudly, and his head crashed into the table. Hajime listened as he started to snore harshly.

The recruit pet the inebriated (and unconscious) Ryuuta on the back, "Thanks for a wonderful time, Ryuuta-san…" he said in all seriousness. He went to move out of the room and change into a more appropriate outfit for lounging; he wanted to read on his couch until he fell asleep, like usual. It would be the end of a perfect day.

Hajime changed slowly, making sure to lay out his outfit to avoid wrinkles. He'd have to ask his mother how to care for it properly. Either that or ask Kai; he seemed to know everything. After the recruit applied his headband, he picked up another medical book and walked himself towards the couch. He found Aoi waiting for him at the living room. She appeared to be debating something in her mind, "Aoi-san! Hello!"

"Ahhh! Haji-kun…!" Aoi waited for him to approach her, and she continued twiddling her thumbs. A blush had risen on her face, "…I wanted to say… Congratulations. You're an adult now, Haji-kun."

"I was an adult three months before this. I don't know why everyone makes a big deal about it now."

"Well, you know…" Aoi said, "Because… on your birthday… your family celebrates… on Seijin Day…" She blushed brighter than before, "Your friends celebrate…"

Hajime stared at Aoi and she smiled at him. He had never thought of it that way, but seeing as how the entire squad seemed to react to him and his disappearance for only a couple of weeks, he understood that they wanted to wish him well. It was amazing that he hadn't realized it before, "…I never thought of it that way, Aoi-san."

"Really?" She smiled brightly, "I suppose it's silly to look at it like that…"

"No, it's a lot more reasonable than what I thought…" Hajime replied, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment, "So… I'm glad you guys waited for me."

"I'm glad you came back…" She said. The two stood in a lightly awkward silence, until Aoi suddenly remembered why she was there, "Oh yeah! H…Haji-kun, I got you a gift… for Seijin Day."

"I hope it's not sake. Ryuuta-san will probably steal it…" Hajime said truthfully.

"No, it's nothing like that," Aoi replied, shaking her head so her pigtails swung from side to side, "It's… a little different."

"Well then…"

"I'm just a little…" Aoi covered her cheeks with her hands to cool the blush that was rising again. She was always so shy around men, so Hajime gave her all the time she needed, "I wanted to give you…"

"If you're not ready, I can wait for a bit," Hajime said with a smile, "Don't worry about it, Aoi-sa…" Aoi interrupted Hajime by taking a step forward and placing a light kiss on his cheek.

"C…congratulations on adulthood, Haji-kun…!" Aoi stammered hastily, bowing hurriedly and fleeing. Hajime stared ahead, his mind white with shock.

"T…tha…ks…?" Hajime slurred, reaching up to touch the cheek that she had kissed. He seriously debated whether he should keep washing it.

Suddenly, something landed on his head, "Hey, you adult you!" Hajime looked up but Sayaka kept her hand down on his head to keep him from poking his head upward, "I saw that! What an adorable gesture!"

"Sayaka-san, please, I can't see…!" Hajime said. She was shoving something down in front of his eyes! "Please let go of my…" The Cheer Girl unexpectedly obliged, releasing the recruit's head and allowing him to poke his head up at the other Ouendan that smiled down at him.

"How's it feel to be older, Hajime-kun?" Anna said with a smile.

Hajime looked at everyone's smiles, and he replied "Fun!" with a grin. He then reached up and placed his hand on the hat that rested on his head. He took it off and blinked at it, "W…what's this…?" He asked, staring at the jet black cap that sported the Yuuhi Town Ouendan's logo. He suddenly looked up at Kai, staring at his cap. Kai's was frayed from years of use, but this one was very similar, just… new… "D…Doumeki-san…"

"Ryuuta-san refused one when I gave one to him on Seijin Day," Kai said, "I wondered if you would…"

Hajime looked down at the cap, and back up at Kai, "On one occasion, Doumeki-san!" Kai cast Hajime a questioning look, "Can you teach me how to care for my new kimono?"

---

Hajime looked so much older, sporting his new cap. He wore it with pride, as it was a gift from his favorite friends. Although at the moment, wearing it pridefully entailed wearing it while reading on his favorite couch. He had to admit, the brim did a great job at covering his eyes from any glaring from the lights.

From out of nowhere, the young recruit suddenly yawned loudly. It was getting late, and he assumed it would be best to start heading off to bed. However, he was already comfortable… and the book was so interesting… He settled down further and continued reading.

And then, pain. Hajime felt searing empathy for someone who just shouted for help. The recruit looked up and practically tossed his book away. Did anyone else hear the cry? "Doumeki-san! There's someone in danger!"

Kai was lounging across the room, staring out the same window as before. At Hajime's voice, he looked up, "I felt it. Ittetsu-san, Atsushi-san."

The two back up Ouendan were already there, "We're on our way."

"Doumeki-san, may I go?" Hajime asked.

Kai turned to the recruit, and he frowned lightly in thought, "…stay here, Hajime-san."

"But… Doumeki-san…!" Hajime pled, "I didn't rejoin the Ouendan to sit around and do nothing!" The shout of help attacked him again, and he winced from the pain, "Please, let me go!"

"…" Kai looked down on Hajime, and the recruit felt that he was going to be berated for speaking up. The Ouendan Coach finally scratched his beard and nodded, "Ittetsu-san, Atsushi-san, take care of Hajime-san for me."

"Understood, Director," Ittetsu said. The three nodded at each other, and in a flash, they were gone.

Kai continued to think, scratching his beard absentmindedly. He wondered how Hajime would handle this mission…

---

"I… can't hold on… much longer…" the man said, holding on tightly to a branch that stuck out from the cliff he was dangling over. He had been working on a new road just outside of Yuuhi Town… and on his way home he slipped while walking down the steep hill between Yuuhi Town and Asahi Town. He had tumbled quite a far bit, and finally grasped a branch that stuck out. What was he supposed to do now…?

"Someone…" he said, ignoring the pain that was the result of various cuts on his body, "Someone… help…!" What was he supposed to do…? There was something that he had learned… when he was in need of help, he was supposed to call something out… "Help…! Help…! Ouenda------n!!"

As if from nowhere, three men appeared, sliding down the hill to a small outcropping on the cliff. The leader nearly fell over, but uprighted himself, "Osu!" The three shouted in unison. The man looked up, and stared in disbelief at the leader. The leader, likewise, looked down, and the two men stared at each other.

"H… Hajime!?"

"F-Father…!!" Hajime shouted in disbelief.

To Be Continued...

---

And that's it so far! Thanks for the reviews all, and I'll see you next time!


	5. Chapter 5

And here it is. The end. Not much to say, aside from MOTHER 3. If you ever care about something in Japanese aside from Ouendan, it'd better be THAT. In fact, go out and get it now. Don't hope for an American release, it'll never come. So go and get it! NOW.

Anyway, have fun with the end of this story!

READ ON

---

"I… can't hold on… much longer…" the man said, holding on tightly to a branch that stuck out from the cliff he was dangling over. He had been working on a new road just outside of Yuuhi Town… and on his way home he slipped while walking down the steep hill between Yuuhi Town and Asahi Town. He had tumbled quite a far bit, and finally grasped a branch that stuck out. What was he supposed to do now…?

"Someone…" he said, ignoring the pain that was the result of various cuts on his body, "Someone… help…!" What was he supposed to do…? There was something that he had learned… when he was in need of help, he was supposed to call something out… "Help…! Help…! Ouenda------n!!"

As if from nowhere, three men appeared, sliding down the hill to a small outcropping on the cliff. The leader nearly fell over, but uprighted himself, "Osu!" The three shouted in unison. The man looked up, and stared in disbelief at the leader. The leader, likewise, looked down, and they stared at each other.

"H… Hajime!?"

"F-Father…!!" Hajime shouted, dropping to his knees, "Are you alright?"

"What are you doing here? Where is your mother?"

"Father! Don't worry; we'll get you out of there!!" Hajime shouted down to his father. He extended his hand, "Father, reach out and grab my arm! I'll pull you up!"

Atsushi suddenly reached out and grasped Hajime's shoulder, "Hajime-san. You know that the Ouendan don't work that way."

Hajime looked up at his friend, "But Atsushi-san! He's my…"

"The very reason Kai-san told you not to come…" Ittetsu said, "You wouldn't be able to work without your emotions…"

Hajime looked angry, "And so what if I use my emotions? My FATHER is down there!"

"I can't hold on much longer! I thought you were supposed to HELP people!" Susumu roared, making Hajime flail reflexively.

"Hajime-san. You must cheer for your father, just like you would for any person," Atsushi peered at Hajime as if staring within his very soul, "You will help him more that way than any other…"

Hajime fought an internal battle, but he knew, deep down inside, that his friends were right. Kai had known he would react that way, and asked them to help him. He looked up, nodded, and whirled around, "Father! You can do it!" He cheered, "Pull yourself up! You can do it!"

"How is THAT supposed to help?" Susumu shouted, "Help me up!"

"You can do it!" Hajime shouted. Atsushi and Ittetsu backed him up, "Father! Do your best! Pull yourself up! Hurry! Hurry!"

Susumu growled and groaned, but with the three cheerers' help, he was able to pull himself up enough to grab a small outcropping. It was not a moment too soon, as the twig he was holding onto loosened enough to slip out and fall down the small cliff. He scrambled to find a foothold, and blinked when he did. Standing quite awkwardly on a small bush, grasping a sharp, pointed rock, he looked up at the Ouendan, "Now what?"

"Keep it up, Father! You can save yourself!" Hajime cheered in response, "Please Father, do your best!"

"Easy for you to say…" Susumu muttered. He grunted loudly and reached up for another rock, and was surprised that he actually grabbed it. He could have sworn it was further away than that… "H…Hajime…! How close am I?"

"Very close Father! You're doing wonderfully! Do your best, you can do it! Father, you're magnificent!" Hajime wasn't sure if he was saying those things because it was known to help his targets or whether he actually meant them. He decided it was because of the latter.

Another step up. Susumu was able to keep one foot on the sharp rock, and he held onto the second rock for dear life, "I… I can't hold on much longer…"

"Just one more hand up, come on Father, you can do it!" Hajime protested. His father nodded and reached up to grab at the ledge the Ouendan were on…

And the rock his foot was on slipped. His foot dislodged it, and Hajime's heart caught in his throat as he saw his father begin his descent into oblivion, "F…Father…!!" The Ouendan Recruit dropped down intuitively, and immediately grasped at his father's arm. Susumu was kept from freefalling to his death, "…D…Don't scare me like that…!" He said with a smile.

"Cheer harder next time, Son," Susumu said, a frown on his face. Hajime's smile disappeared, but then his father smiled, "Now help me up, please." The young Ouendan smiled again. It was the first time his father ever said "Please" to him…

Ittetsu and Atsushi reached out and assisted Hajime in pulling up his father. They supposed that sometimes it was okay to bend the rules a bit. At least everything turned out for the best!

---

Tanaka Susumu gasped for air. The climb back up to the main road was a tough one, but with his son's cheering and his physical assistance, he got up with hardly any more scratches than he already had. He rested a bit on the floor as Hajime checked him over, "So…" He said to Ittetsu, "Is that what you Ouendan do?"

"Anyone who needs assistance will obtain it," Ittetsu replied.

"You look alright, Father," Hajime said, adjusting his glasses, "But you need to wash out these scratches. They could get infected if you don't take care of them."

"Yes, Doctor," Susumu replied. Hajime blushed at his father's sudden respect for him. He really wasn't used to it, and wasn't sure how to speak to him. Susumu looked up at Hajime's cap, and blinked at it, "What's that on there, Hajime?"

The young man looked up at the brim of his hat, "Huh?" He asked, taking it off, "Oh, that's our logo. It's our squad's sign. Doumeki-san said that there are other Ouendan squads all over Japan, and we have to keep these on here so people can tell us apart…" Hajime reapplied his hat, "Or something like that."

"I see…" Susumu said. He looked at Hajime's smile, and looked far off into the distance, "It suits you."

"Father?"

"I suppose if you're so hell bent on following this fantasy profession of yours…" The man said, standing up slowly, "Then there's nothing I can do to stop you. Just make sure to help anyone who needs it. Do you understand?"

"I do, Father."

"They're trusting you with their wellbeing. If you fail them, you never deserved to be an Ouendan in the first place," A smile appeared on Susumu's face, "And if you can't take care of people by cheering, how can you take care of them through medicine?"

"Father, I understand…"

"So I will expect you to work hard and not let those who trust you down."

"Father, is there something you don't want to tell me?" Hajime asked, "Do you want me to walk you home?"

Susumu glared at his son, "No." He said flatly. Hajime tried not to smile, "I fully expect you to come visit the house once in a while."

"I'll see you tomorrow, alright, Father?"

"Bring that Aoi-san. She was a nice girl," He said as he began down the hill, "She'd make a good daughter-in-law."

"I'll think about it, Father…" Hajime stated, although most of it was a lie to keep in good standing with his father. He was still completely red in the face as he waved goodbye to the retreating form of his father. The other Ouendan waited until Hajime sighed and turned around, "Alright, I think we're done for…" He interrupted himself with a loud yawn, "…for tonight."

Ittetsu and Atsushi looked at each other, smiling knowingly, "Alright, Hajime-san," Atsushi said, "Let's go home." Home. To Hajime, it was the greatest word in the world. It was the place where his family and friends were. He was going home, and the recruit couldn't be happier to hear it.

---

Hajime found the Headquarters (not surprisingly) quiet. Most everyone had already gone to bed, and the moment Hajime and his entourage returned home; the two bid the recruit farewell and went off to their respective dorms. The recruit went back to the living room to collect his book and turn off whatever light was still on in there, and he was surprised to find Ryuuta and Aoi sleeping in that very room. Ryuuta was splayed out across his favorite lounging armchair, and Aoi had curled up on Hajime's favorite reading couch near his book. Hajime sighed lightly with a smile; they must have been waiting for him and fell asleep when he took so long. He moved across the room and grabbed an afghan from the back of the couch, and moved to place it over the Cheer Girl.

It was then that he saw his book. Aoi had curled up with it, and he did his best not to groan audibly. He reached out to attempt to pick it out of her hands without waking her, and she curled up more, giggling lightly, "Haji-kun doesn't know I'm awake…" She said softly.

"You could be less sneaky about it, Aoi-san," Hajime replied, placing his hand on his hip as she sat up and handed her friend his book, "Why are you up so late, anyway?"

"Ryuuta-kun woke up," Aoi replied. It took Hajime a moment to remember that Ryuuta was in an intoxicated stupor when the recruit had left him, "And got mad that you had left without telling him. He said he wanted to know if you were a happy or sad drunk." Hajime blinked in confusion, "So he decided to wait for you. I thought I should too…"

"I'm not going to disappear again, you know," Hajime said with a smile. Aoi looked away with a frown.

"I know…" She murmured, "But it happened so suddenly last time… I suppose we're still a little afraid." She looked up at Hajime and giggled lightly, "You know, it'd be funny if we were always on edge about this. We'd never let you leave the dorms! You'd be like a little pet, you know?"

"So that's what I am now, huh?" Hajime asked good-naturedly, pretending to look mad, "I'm the Ouendan Mascot?"

Aoi laughed aloud, but quieted down when she remembered Ryuuta was still sleeping. She continued to play along, "How about we put cat ears on you? Then you'll need a cute thing to say after every sentence you say. How about 'Nyaaa'?"

Now it was Hajime's turn to keep from laughing, "Aoi-san…"

"No good? How about 'Desu no'?"

"Aoi-san…!"

"Alright, Haji-kun," Aoi replied. She stood from the couch and took the afghan from her friend, and went to place it over the Ouendan Leader. He snorted lightly, but didn't stir, "How come all of you men have to be so cute…?" She asked rhetorically, giggling at Ryuuta's red, drunken face, "it's as if all of Yuuhi town's adorable men are all living here…"

She suddenly remembered who she was taking to, and turned to see a lightly red recruit, "Well, you know…" he muttered, "You seem to think all men are cute, Aoi-san…"

"I suppose that's right…" She said lightly to herself through a half blush. The two stood in silence, until she spoke up again, "Perhaps I should to go bed then…" She moved to walk past the recruit, but Hajime reached out and asked her to wait.

"Aoi-san…" Hajime said. She turned around and looked at him quizzically, "You know… Father invited me to spend tomorrow with my family." The recruit gulped, "He wanted to know… well… it's really ME who wants to know… but… would you like to come with me…?"

Aoi stared at the recruit, and the Cheer Girl suddenly smiled, "Alright then! It's a date!"

"A date!?" Hajime practically cried, his blush rising. Aoi giggled and skipped off, and Hajime raced after her, trying hard not to wake the others around him, "Aoi-san, stop putting words in my mouth! That's not what I meant!"

But the more Hajime shouted, the more he knew deep down it was exactly what he meant.

The End!

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Hope you enjoyed it. I really did like writing it, and I hope you liked reading it!


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